The sequel to If I Stay, Where She Went is told from the perspective of Adam, the boyfriend left behind by Mia. But (spoiler alert to If I Stay), he was not left behind when she chose to pass away in her coma, but rather when Mia recovered, she took her position at Julliard and let their relationship end. Adam has now become a rock star, but suffers from anxiety and is all but estranged from his band and even himself. When he gets to see Mia again three years after her accident, they finally get to resolve issues.

It was going to be pretty darned hard for Gayle Forman to top If I Stay. I didn’t want to know whether Mia lived or died, and I didn’t care to know how Adam felt. But, Forman drew me in. The idea of the anxious rocker seemed a bit blah blah at first, but then I started to think: what of the people left behind? Touch wood I have never been through the types of trauma from If I Stay, but what do you do? If you are in a relationship with someone when they have a massive crisis like this, can it be maintained afterwards? Or is it doomed? So MANY questions!

In the end, I loved it. I found the last twenty or so pages a bit of a convenient fix, but not unrealistic. Ultimately, it was satisfying and I know I will be recommending these books to YA readers in the future.